Australians drove equivalent of Sydney to Broome and back in 2004 (Media Release)

MEDIA RELEASE

September 19, 2005

Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)

102/2005

Australians drove equivalent of Sydney to Broome and back in 2004

Each Australian travelled an average of 9,898 km by road during the 12 months ended 31 October 2004, a distance roughly equivalent to Sydney to Broome (WA) and back, according to latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (see media note).

Each passenger vehicle travelled an average of 13,900 km. This is roughly equivalent to doing two return trips from Melbourne to Perth. Eight out of 10 vehicles on the road were passenger vehicles, accounting for three-quarters (74%) of the total distance travelled.

Articulated trucks travelled an average of 90,800 km per vehicle, more than six times greater than passenger vehicles.

New South Wales had the largest number of registered vehicles (4.1 million) and the largest share of total kilometres travelled by all registered vehicles (30%).

Vehicles in Victoria, Queensland, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory all travelled further than the national average (14,800 km per vehicle). Vehicles registered in Tasmania travelled the least distance, at an average of 13,000 km.

Vehicles used a total of 27.5 billion litres of fuel, at an average rate of 13.8 litres per hundred kilometres.

Unleaded petrol accounted for over half of all fuel consumed during the period (16.6 billion litres), at an average of 11.3 litres per hundred kilometres. Diesel use was 8.2 billion litres, at an average rate of 24.3 litres per hundred kilometres.

Passenger vehicles using petrol consumed on average 11.1 litres per hundred kilometres. Those using diesel used an average of 12.2 litres per hundred kilometres.

Further details are in Survey of Motor Vehicle Use (cat. no. 9208.0).

Media note: Average distance travelled was calculated by dividing the total distance travelled by Australia's estimated resident population at that time.